FSPA Statement on Line 5 Reroute Challenge
Released Aug. 12, 2025
The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, a congregation of Catholic sisters headquartered in Wisconsin, applauds the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and groups including Midwest Environmental Advocates and Clean Wisconsin for challenging Wisconsin’s approval of the proposed Line 5 reroute in a hearing today before an administrative law judge.
Canadian company Enbridge proposes to build 41 miles of new pipeline around the borders of the Bad River Band reservation, where Line 5 is currently trespassing. The pipeline would involve blasting, horizontal drilling, or trenching across hundreds of wetlands and streams, destroying areas where Tribes reserved rights to hunt, fish, and gather in treaties with the United States.
“Continued spills along the pipeline’s route through Wisconsin are a real threat,” said FSPA Vice President Sister Georgia Christensen. According to sierraclub.org, Line 5 has spilled 33 times and at least 1.1 million gallons since 1968. Most recently, according to the accident report released Dec. 11, 2024, a valve failure caused a spill that also dumped some 69,000 gallons of oil into the ground. “The environmental toll of such incidents devastates our waterways, wildlife and local economies; we must consider the alternatives outside of Line 5. And, we must honor the rights of the Bad River Band; it is unacceptable to violate water quality standards and resources for all,” Christensen continued.
Enbridge’s project, which still requires federal permits from the US Army Corps of Engineers, received permits from Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in November 2024. The DNR’s approval is being contested by the Bad River Band, Clean Wisconsin, and by Midwest Environmental Advocates on behalf of Sierra Club, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, and 350 Wisconsin.
Learn More
"What to know about the Line 5 reroute" - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin Line 5 safety arguments continue as reroute permit hearings begin - The Center Square
Wisconsin Line 5 safety arguments continue as reroute permit hearings begin - Yahoo! News